Ritalin - The Wonder Drug Or The Monster Creator?

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`Why didn't the ADHD boy introduce his girlfriend to any of his friends? A) He can't remember her name; or better yet, How would they diagnose ADD in a chicken? A) It never gets all the way across the road because of all the distractions. You could say growing up was hard; everyday I had to endure cruel teeny bopping teenagers who didn’t understand my condition. What really made it hard was that I didn’t even understand my condition. Seven years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD or Attention Deficit/ Hyper- activity Disorder. In other words, my brain was like a light constantly going off and on at the worst possible times. As a form of treatment for ADHD, I was put on a controversial drug called Ritalin. At the age of sixteen, it was not really my choice whether I wanted to take a doctor’s prescription or not. Now that I have grown up a bit and understand things better, I am questioning the benefits of prescribing Ritalin to treat ADHD.

My personal experience with Ritalin is mixed. I use it when I am in school and at work and it allows me to concentrate and focus on what I need to do. I use to be a troubled student. I use to have consent run-ins with the law. Things never came easy to me and far too often they never came at all. Ritalin was like putting on a pair of glasses worn by Superman. Suddenly everything became focused and organized. My schoolwork went form a category I will refer to as second-rate to a straight A student. I was no longer battling with myself to comprehend something. People who knew me as a child would never believe me as to what I have accomplished. That came at a price though, when I am taking Ritalin I drop about fifteen pounds and have constant nausea. I also feel it changes my personality making me a very bland person to talk to just like Al Gore. Last year I found myself in the hospital with what can be described as a mild heart attack because of Ritalin. Most of these side effects I have been able to coupe with because the benefits have been so high. I do question if I could have gotten this far without it and if it was really worth it.

On the other hand, According to a Time magazine article about the benefits of Ritalin, Ritalin even though its controversial, it seems to be the most effective way of treating ADHD. Lisa Horowitz of Brooklyn, says, "I was against the medication at first, like everybody else," Lisa was u...

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...fails.html 08 Feb 1999.
Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology. “Ritalin--Other Resources.” <a href="http://www.bregin.com/ritalin.html">http://www.bregin.com/ritalin.html 08 Feb 1999.
CHADD. “A Disability Named ADD.” http://www.chadd.com/fact1-a.htm 06 Feb 1999.
Diller, Dr. Lawrence H. “Running On Ritalin.” <a href="http://www.docdiller.com/html/running.htm">http://www.docdiller.com/html/running.htm 07 Feb 1999.
Hallowell, Dr. Edward M. “Whats it like to have ADD.” 11 Feb 1999. <a href="http://www.add.org/content/abc/hallowell.htm">http://www.add.org/content/abc/hallowell.htm
Long, Dr. Phillip W. “Methylphenidate .“ 07 Feb 1999. <a href="http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-r03.html">http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-r03.html 08 Feb 1999.
Mediconsult Limited. “Attention Deficit Disorder News.” 11 Feb 1999. <a href="http://www.mediconsult.com/add/news/">http://www.mediconsult.com/add/news/ 08 Feb 1999.
Time Magazine. “When Pills Make Sense” 20 March 2000. <a href="http://www.www.time.com/time/magazine/articles">http://www.www.time.com/time/magazine/articles (20 March 2000)

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